Q. 1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

Today, India looks like it is on course to join the league of developed nations. It is beginning to establish a reputation not just as the technology nerve centre and back-office to the world, but also as its production centre. India’s secularism and democracy serve as a role model to other developing countries. There is great pride in an India that easily integrates with a global economy, yet maintains a unique cultural identity.

But what is breathtaking is India’s youth. For despite being an ancient civilization that traces itself to the very dawn of human habitation, India is among the youngest countries in the world. More than half the country is under 25 years of age and more than a third is under 15 years of age.

Brough up in the shadow of the rise of India’s service industry boom, this group feels it can be at least as good if not better than anyone else in the world. This confidence has them demonstrating a great propensity to consume, throwing away ageing ideas of asceticism and thrift. Even those who do not have enough to consume today feel that they have the capability and opportunity to do so.

The economic activity created by this combination of a growing labour pool and rising consumption demand is enough to propel India to double digit economic growth for decades. One just has to look at the impact that the baby boomers in the US had over decades of economic activity, as measured by equity and housing prices. This opportunity also represents the greatest threat to India’s future. If the youth of India are not properly educated and if there are not enough jobs created, India will have forever lost its opportunity. There are danger signs in abundance.

Fifty-three per cent of students in primary schools drop out, one-third of children in Class V cannot read, three quarters of schools do not have a functioning toilet, female literacy is only 45 per cent and 80 million children in the age group of 6-14 do not even attend school.

India’s IT and BPO industries are engines of job creation, but they still account for only 0.2 per cent of India’s employment. The country has no choice but to dramatically industrialize and inflate its domestic economy. According to a forecast by the Boston Consult ing Group, more than half of India’s unemployed within the next decade could be its educated youth. We cannot allow that to happen.

India is stuck in a quagmire of labour laws that hinder employment growth, particularly in the manufacturing sector. Inflexible labour laws inhibit entrepreneurship so it is quite ironic that laws ostensibly designed to protect labour actually discourage employment

Employment creation needs an abundant supply of capital. Controls on foreign in vestment have resulted in China getting five times the foreign direct investment, or an ad vantage of $200 billion over the past five years The growing interest in India by global private equity firms augurs well as they represent pools of patient and smart capital, but they too face many bureaucratic hurdles.

When it comes to domestic capital availability, budget deficits adding up to 10 per cent of the national GDP impede capital availability for investment and infrastructure.

Raising infrastructure spending, coupled with rapid privatization, may not only cre ate employment but also address the growing gaps in infrastructure China has eight times the highway miles and has increased roads significantly in the past few years while India has only inched along. Freight costs at Indian ports are almost double the worldwide average, just to give two examples.

Moreover like the Lilliputians that kept the giant Gulliver tied down there are some 30,000 statutes in India of which only a portion are even operational and these keep the employment creation engine tied down Since there are no sunset provisions in any laws the regulatory morass only grows every year.

In the meantime, we as citizens of the world and descendants of India have to make a difference We have to ensure that India and its youth attain that potential both through our business pursuits and the support of educational charities, on-the-ground proponents of participative democracy as well as other deserving organizations and initiatives.

I believe that hope can triumph and that this can be India’s century — not one that will happen as surely as the sun will rise each day, butone that many willing hands will need to create together.

What makes the author think India is on the verge of joining the select band of developed nations? (2)

Despite the fact that India is one of the oldest civilizations why does the author say it is young? (1)

The author feels that if certain problems are not arrested, India would lose its opportunity. Why would India lose this opportunity? (2)

What hinders employment growth? (2)

Who/what in the passage is referred to as the ‘Lilliputians’? (1)

How can we ensure that India and its youth attain their full potential? (2)

Pick out words from the passage that mean: (3)

Extremely exciting (para 2)

A period of sudden growth (para 3)

Another name for wealth (para 8)

Q. 2. Read the passage given below:

Torrential rains and swollen rivers have caused chaos across central and Eastern Europe, while a massive heat wave in southern Europe has helped reduce the Portuguese wood land to tinder Tens of thousands of people face a massive relief operation as the extent of the devastation slowly becomes clear. The death toll continues to mount steadily across the continent. The latest estimate puts the number since mid August, 2005 at over 150. “Unfortunately, we are expecting the number of victims to rise by the hour,” said Romanian interior minister Vasile Blaga.

Though the heat wave persists in Portugal and Spain, forest fires in Portugal have been brought under control By August 26, 2005, the waters began to recede across Germany and the Czech Republic, the countries hardest hit, by the floods. The situation also improved in Croatia, Austria, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary and Slovenia. But some areas of Switzerland and Germany remained on alert.
Huge damages were reported from all over Europe. Thousands of people had to be evacuated from their homes. Many villages were abandoned in Portugal, while helicopters were used in Switzerland and Austria to airlift people from flooded houses and landslides. The floods worst impact was along the Danube, Morava and Elbe rivers and their tributaries. Dresden in Germany was one of the hardest hit.

Germany puts the damages at around US $14 billion, but the German state of Saxony alone puts its own costs at around US $16 billion. Austria quotes a clean up bill of US $2 billion, and the ‘Czech Republic US $3 billion. But all these figures are speculative. What is disturbing is that relief operations appear stretched. In Germany, only US $200 per adult is currently available from both the EU and the government.

The reason behind the bedlam is the jet stream, high-speed winds usually found just below the tropopause, which drives the depressions and fronts that affect the weather. Usually found between 7,620 metres (in) and ‘13,716(m) altitude, it flows eastwards at speeds up to 200 m per hour around the Earth. It is formed when cold air from the Arctic meets warm air from the tropics. Because the jet stream fluctuates, its track makes huge differences to the weather. This year it positioned around Europe locking high pressure over southwest Europe which in its turn is responsible for creating intense drought in some parts and deluges of rain in other parts.

While many blame global warming for the disaster, some scientists are reluctant to draw a direct link. “We are linking these events to climate change... There are also other things happening building up of the land bad land use plans, bad fire prevention m the south... But all the factors together are more and more exacerbated by global warming,” explains Martin Hiller spokesperson for Worldwide Fund for Nature Malcolm Haylock of the University of East Anglia the UK, is more dithering You can say that due to the Earth getting warmer there will be on an average more extreme events but you can t attribute any specific event to climate change’

Despite growing consensus about global warming, it is hard to find long-term trends in rainfall that would have directly the droughts and floods. Some experts believe the North Atlantic Oscillation climate system has caused a drift towards drier conditions in southern Europe and more rainfall m the north during winters; its effects during summers are not as clear.

On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary. (5)

Write a summary of the above passage in 80 words using the notes made and also suggest a suitable title.

SECTION - B

(ADVANCED WRITING SKILLS)

Q. 3. Water is precious and each one of us must stop wastage. Prepare a poster in not more than 50 words urging people to employ various methods of rain water harvesting in their colonies. (5)

Or

Your school is organizing a fete to collect funds for charity. Only school students are eligible to put up stalls. As Head boy/Head girl of the Meera International School, draft a notice in not more than 50 words to be put up announcing sale of stalls giving all other necessary details.

Q. 4. To promote healthy eating habits amongst school children, Vaibav Public School, Hastinapur, recently organized a ‘Nutritious Food and Snacks Competition’. The competition was open to both parents and students. The participation was very encouraging. The famous nutrition expert, Dr. Shikha Sharma was the chief guest. As Archana/Anjum, the local student reporter for the Young India newspaper, write a report about this event in 100-125 words. Do not forget to give your report a catchy heading. (10)

Or

Recently you attended a Career Fair organized by the Australian High Commission in which various Australian colleges and Universities participated and gave information about their undergraduate and graduate programmes. You attended this fair. Write a detailed account of the fair in 100-125 words. You are Reshma/Hamid.

Q. 5. You are Shilpa/Sameer living in Bangalore. You have just completed your studies and are looking for a job. While browsing through the Hindustan Times of 26.01.2006, you come across the following advertisement. Choose a post for which you think you are suitable. Send your application in response to this advertisement. (10)

Or

In its bid to educate people about the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, the Govt. of India has been taking serious steps to prevent it. A few years ago it ordered all cigarette manufacturing units to insert a statutory warning on cigarette packs. Now it is considering censorship of all cigarette smoking scenes in Indian cinema. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily giving your own views.

Q. 6. Last year’s floods in Mumbai not only highlighted the inefficiency and indifference of the local administration but also brought out the indomitable spirit of the common man. It was a grand story of how people came to the rescue of people. Write an article in 150-200 words on how common man can realize his own powers and help rebuild a “New and Clean India” of which we can all be proud. (10)

Or

You are Maneka/Manik. You strongly feel that the Indian Government is not taking adequate steps to promote tourism in India which could turn out to be one of the major revenue earning industries. Write an article in 150-200 words for a magazine giving your ideas on the steps the Indian Govt. could take to promote tourism aggressively

SECTION - C

(LITERATURE)

Q. 7.

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Although it fall and die that night —
It was the plant and flower of Light.
In small proportions we just beauties see:
And in short measures life may perfect be.

What does the word ‘it’ refer to “Why does it die that night ‘ (2)

What is the significance of the word “although” in the above lines? (1)

What message does the poem have for mankind through the above lines” (1)

Or

Freedom’ from the insult of dwelling in a puppet world,
Where movements are started through brainless wires,
Repeated through mindless habits,
Where figures wait with patience and obedience for the
Master of the show,
To be stirred into a moment mimicry of life.

What, according to the poet, is the ‘puppet’s world’? (1)

What to his mind is insulting? (1)

Which two expressions indicate that this is a puppet’s world” (2)

Answer the following questions in 30 - 40 words each (3 x 2 = 6)

Sometimes circumstances compel a man to do something against his wishes. Bring out the truth of this statement by referring to the poem, ‘The Man He Killed’

What, according to William Wordsworth, is nature’s ‘holy plan’” How has mankind shown its indifference towards it

The poem, “Once Upon a Time” is a lament for a bygone era Illustrate the truth of this statement with examples from the poem.

Bhai Parmanand says “... I for one, began to think that we had been forcibly pulled down from the steps leading to Heaven and made ready to enter the gates of Hell.” Which, according to you, could be the steps to Heaven and gates of Hell? Why does he say so?

What does Max Mueller mean by ‘two very different’ Indias?

Why does the author call the Gandhian movement for enlistment of women epochal and revolutionary?

Coming out of his office Parsons was glad to be alive. Why does he think so?

Q. 9. Answer the following in 125-150 words: (10)
Justify the title of the story, ‘The Price of Flowers’.

Or

Machines confer power and, therefore, they bring, happiness. Taking cue from the lesson, ‘Machines and the Emotions’, give arguments in support of and against the statement.

Q. 10. Answer the following in 125-150 words:

How did the narrator of the story, ‘The Face on the Wall”, prove himself to be a master story teller? How was the group gulled? (7)

Or

In his talk at the conference for parents of blind students, Dr. Stromer makes some very crucial points to make them understand that even handicapped people can live normal and happy lives. What arguments and examples does he give to support his belief?

Q. 11. Answer the following in 30-40 words each: (4 x 2 = 8)

Why was Baldwin surprised when Marshall offered him a position in the Third National?

Mrs. Wang knew that a war was going on between the Chinese and the Japanese but to her it was not real. Why?

Why does Gandhi feel that he could not do full justice to all the young boys and girls at the farm?

In order to be effective vanguards of the nation what attributes, according to Dr. Karan Singh, should the young men and women of India be equipped with?